Despite being technically both the head-of-state and commander-in-chief of the Imperial military, the Emperor is not by any means an absolute ruler. He has to share much of his power, influence and responsibilities with the powerful Elector Counts.

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Government

Upon the death of an Emperor the throne does not automatically pass to his heir. An election is held with 15 Electors, 10 of which are Elector Counts. The heir of the deceased Emperor is an obvious candidate; under normal circumstances he will be supported by the friends and allies of his predecessor. Therefore a dynastic succession is a strong possibility. However the heir may lose the election due to personal enmities, political manoeuvring or his or her own personal failings.

Nearly all of the Emperors were chosen from among the Elector Counts and in many ways being Emperor means being but the "first among equals." The Emperor is the recognised leader of the Elector Counts, who are themselves powerful and independent nobles. Many matters are debated between the Emperor and the Counts on an equal standing and then agreed upon, and the outcome is not always as the Emperor wants.

The Emperor's power is severely limited by his inability to enforce his edicts within the semi-independent provinces that comprise the Empire. Far from the capital and within their own provinces, the Elector Counts rule as they see fit and they can choose to largely ignore Imperial edicts and decrees.

Furthermore, the Empire is not a centralised state, but a feudal confederacy. The Emperor does not control the entire military of the Empire and he does not receive all, or even the majority, of its taxes. His revenues and other resources are collected from his own province and his own personal treasury will pay the military units under his direct control.

Each of the Elector Counts collects taxes from his respective province and will spend his wealth as he sees fit. He will recruit and pay his own provincial army, which is far more loyal to its local ruler than to the distant Emperor. Depending upon the wealth of the province, a wealthy Elector Count may even be able to afford to recruit a larger army than the Emperor.

A wise Emperor will realise that trying to subdue the Elector Counts through threats and/or force is a very dangerous task, all too likely to result in open rebellion against Imperial authority and a civil war that may cost the Emperor his crown. Gaining the respect and loyalty of the Elector Counts of the Empire through example and fair leadership tends to be the best policy.

Notes

Note 1: Tome of Salvation states that Siegrich was from Averland, while the WFRP 4th Edition rulebook states that he was from Stirland. The WFRP 4th Edition rulebook states that he was from Reikland, while other sources state that he was from Wissenland.